Monday, November 5, 2018

REVIEW: 'The Good Doctor' - Shaun and Morgan Disagree Over How to Help Their Patient in 'Two-Ply (or Not Two-Ply)'

ABC's The Good Doctor - Episode 2.06 "Two-Ply (or Not Two-Ply)"

Morgan and Shaun's indecision on how to treat a violinist who visits the ER with an infected finger could affect her future in more ways than one. Lim, Claire and Park can't figure out if their young patient is really ill or looking for attention.

In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of ABC's The Good Doctor.

"Two-Ply (or Not Two-Ply)" was written by Simran Baidwan and directed by Tara Nicole Weyr

This appears to be a very consequential episode for Morgan. She has at times been a really difficult character to connect with. She has often seen everything as a competition. She has worked hard to prove that she is a smart and capable physician. She was asked to be more of a team player at the start of this season. And now, it's clear that the case this week hits her hard. She is trying her best to connect emotionally with the patient and give her the career she has worked so hard to achieve. And yet, that doesn't change the fact that she has a flesh-eating bacteria and needs to have her arm amputated. Shaun turns out to be right in this situation. He always believes himself to be right no matter what. That can be a severe character flaw for him as well. He doesn't always know how to compromise or change his tactics in order to be more accommodating to the patients or his colleagues. But it's also such a vital lesson for Morgan to learn that this isn't just a competition. It's about her becoming the best doctor she can be. Yes, the residents are often pitted against each other to see who can prevail by coming up with a diagnosis or getting to perform the procedure. But it's also about their individual training and recognizing that they have the skills to succeed in order to help the patients no matter what emergency they are dealing with. Melendez imparts that lesson onto Morgan here. He can talk about long being jealous of Lim for being so efficient and effortless at this job. Now though, they are colleagues who respect each other while still enjoying some light-hearted competition from time to time. That too is very intriguing. Of course, it also highlights how Melendez isn't always right as well. He took out his rage and disappointment on Claire in the previous episode. And now, she is on a hot streak of being able to suggest procedures or offer a diagnosis that have turned out to be completely true. She has stepped up as the greatest advocate her patients could have. They are lucky to land her as their doctor. And yet, everyone is telling her that she overshares too much about her life and that she just needs to apologize to Melendez in order to get back into his good graces after going behind his back to get her experimental surgery approved. And yet, she's absolutely right to hold her ground. Lim still very much appreciates the wisdom and intelligence she brings to these cases. She is able to connect with her patient better than Park is - largely because he brings his own problematic baggage to the proceedings. Elsewhere, the show really digs deep into the bumps that come initially from Shaun and Lea deciding to move in together. It's still an exciting story for both of them. Of course, it highlights how they can both be annoying and stubborn as well. Sure, Shaun is completely right in the toilet paper debate. That should be a huge issue. The compromise is perfectly fine and allows for a solid punchline to close the hour as well. But it's also fascinating how all of this ultimately pivots around Lea going to Glassman to get his perspective on how to deal with Shaun. He can't really offer any advice outside of saying that she needs to commit to the dynamic now or get out. She chooses to stay. That's a choice that will either work out incredibly well or will be devastating to both of them at some point this season. Both could realistically happen as well.